


I will stay forever with you

by Xayah90



Series: Rebels-Saga [2]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: Angst and Feels, Denial of Feelings, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Old Lore, Pre-Relationship, Rakan acknowledges his feelings for a brief second, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:34:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27387247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xayah90/pseuds/Xayah90
Summary: Shortstory which belongs to "There is nothing you could do to make me turn my back on you" and "I'll wait 'til you find your way back home", showing the birds before they became a couple while Rakan tries to get closer to Xayah, trying to find a connection to her, while Xayah tries her best to avoid him, even if everything inside her screams 'no'.
Relationships: Rakan/Xayah (League of Legends)
Series: Rebels-Saga [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755052
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Since "I'll wait 'til you find your way back home" requires a lot of emotional effort from me at the moment (whoever reads the sequel will understand what I mean), I've chosen a short story as a little compensation. This story started with the first part of the series and covers the periods of time that didn't occur in the first part of the series, mainly the time before the two of them became a couple and started getting to know each other, as well as situations that were cut short. 
> 
> As this is my first time participating in NaNoWriMo this year, this story section will certainly be continued as it is the perfect balance to my main project.
> 
> Best wishes to all of you  
> and stay healthy

Her claws bore themselves annoyed into the damp earth and she intertwines her arms in front of her chest, rolling her eyes. "We are behind schedule," she hisses at Rakan as she taps her arm with her fingernails. He looks at her with a grin, wiggling his eyebrows, before he takes a last, proving look in the mirror, brushing his hair back and closing the small, golden mirror with a quick movement. 

"Take it easy, Xayah. Life is a party, you have to enjoy it," he winks at her, before he passes her with dancing steps, his golden feathers shining brightly from the sun. She snorts, shaking her head slightly before she catches up with quick steps and takes the lead again. 

As she walks she takes a quick look at the map before her eyes move up to the sky, calculating in her mind how far they can make it if Rakan doesn't mess around. She snorts briefly, knowing that he will continue to stroll around as he always does. If they keep up their speed as they are now, they would make it to Takayana, maybe even slightly further. 

But she would see it when the time comes. 

For now, all she can do is to hope that they will make it as far as Takayana this day. Her steps become faster as she hurries through a large field of colorful flowers, whirling up florescent dust with her rapid movement, while ancient trees rise up into the sky in the distance, red leaves dancing on their branches like little flames. 

For a brief moment she holds her breath as her thoughts return to her home, to similar trees she had always admired and which gave her a feeling of security and stability. 

_And which humans had cut down mercilessly, knocked over, uprooted._

_Just like her._

She bites her lower lip, white-hot rage spreads in her stomach and her hands clench into fists, crumple the map she still holds in her hand. 

_Uprooted and transplanted._

Angrily she presses her eyes together, resisting the urge to scream loudly. When she opens her eyes again, Rakan looks at her with a mixture of interest and surprise. Her arms tightening in front of her chest, she looks at him coldly, her mouth pressed into a downward motion. "What?!", she hisses, turning away from him and walking on, without waiting for an answer. 

A sigh escapes his throat, he wrinkles his forehead and shakes his head briefly before running after her. Some days he really wonders why he is following her at all, since she shows him every time anew that she has no interest in him, that she simply doesn't like him. 

That she prefers to be alone.

He watches her attentively as he walks a few steps behind her, putting his backpack over his shoulder and making sure that none of his breathtaking feathers are damaged. The sunlight falls on her feathers and makes them shine silky. 

Even though he would never say it out loud, but her plumage shines beautiful, though not quite as beautiful as his own. But nothing and no one looks as great as he does, that her plumage can almost keep up with his is an exception, even if her other appearance is somewhat... ordinary to plain, if not gloomy. 

She's not his type, definitely not, but knowing that she's the first woman who doesn't want to spend the night with him at all, that she won't let herself be captured by his charm, this knowledge provides a special thrill. A grin spreads on his lips and he catches up with her.

She is a special prey, which doesn't fall into the net immediately and this hunt has its own charm on Rakan. Grinning, he follows her, lost in thought, so that he doesn't notice how she has stopped, looking fixated on the map. He runs into her from behind, pushes her to the ground and falls on her lengthwise, looking at the back of her head in confusion. 

Irritated, he notices that her body stiffens and a strange noise comes out of her throat. A blink of the eye later she has struggled free, straightened up and stares at him angrily. "What the hell are you thinking?!" Her voice resembles the hiss of an angry snake before she turns away.

His forehead wrinkles as he looks behind her while she hurries away. Immediately he jumps up, knocking the dust off his clothes and runs after her, his eyes fixed on her trembling back. 'Is she afraid or what was that expression in her eyes? And why else would she tremble?'

Without receiving an answer to his unasked questions, he follows her, deciding in his thoughts to keep a closer look at her. Maybe he will get his answers. 

As the sunset approaches, they can already see the city wall of Takayana, clouds of smoke rise into the sky and dimmed lights flicker behind the windows of the houses. The closer they get to the place, the more Rakan notices that his companion is behaving strange, seems nervous, although she is never nervous. 

With quick steps he catches up, looking at her from the side, one of his eyebrows raised. "Is something wrong?" Gently he puts a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile, but she shakes his hand off with a quick movement of her shoulder, staring at him coldly.

"Don't touch me!"

Unaffected, he raises his hands into the air, at this point in their journey not even surprised that she attacks him like that. He is more or less used to it. With an apologetic smile he looks at her before repeating his words, his voice is still soft. "Is something wrong?"

Xayah hesitates, clenching her hands into fists and eyes to the ground before slowly spreading the map in front of her, pretending to look at it, although she is clearly aware that Rakan knows as well as she does that she knows the rest of the way by heart. "I'm not sure if there are humans living in the village," she mumbles quietly, her eyes fixed on the map. 

He gives her a gentle smile, leaning casually against a tree and pulling out his golden mirror. For a moment he looks at himself while checking his appearance and making sure that he still looks stunning, before he lets the mirror snap back together and throws a broad grin at her. 

"There are a few humans, but the majority of the villagers are Vastaya." He looks at her in a good mood while her mouth curls into a disappointed grimace. Without saying anything, she grabs the map, shoulders her backpack, and looks at him with a commanding look. "Let's move on, I'd like to find a shelter before night falls." 

For a moment her gaze touches the sky, and once again she warps her mouth. "A cave or something wouldn't be bad, it looks like rain." Confused, he catches up with her, looking at her from the side questioningly. "Why don't we spend the night in a tavern in Takayana? We' re protected from the rain there." Without thinking twice, she shakes her head. 

"No human villages!"

Without waiting for a reaction, she walks away with her eyes on the map and moves around in fear as a hand wraps around her wrist. Surprised, Rakan looks at her as she almost slips over her own feet in shock. "There are hardly any humans in the village. There are about 100 inhabitants, perhaps 15 of them are humans. The chance that you will run into a human is so small. But we would be inside." 

Without saying anything, she breaks free, the expression in her eyes leaves him frozen for a short moment. "If you really want to go to the humans, then just go! I won't stop you!" With quick steps she walks away before she stops at a thick tree trunk. She can't hear any steps, not the slightest sound which would suggest that he is following her. 

For a short moment an unfamiliar feeling of emptiness spreads in her, a feeling that she doesn't like at all. "So where are we going? And will you at least tell me why you would rather risk sleeping in the rain than perhaps running into any human?" Startled, she winces, raising her head. 

Grinning broadly, he looks down on her, stroking his hair backwards. "It's none of your business," she snaps at him, before her eyes take on a softer expression and she brushes a strand of her hair from her face. "But maybe I'll tell you about it some day. But I can't promise you anything." Her voice is softer, resembles the look in her eyes, and if he didn't know better, Rakan would even say that her voice has taken on an almost friendly tone.

He nods slightly, smiling at her. He will remind her, even if he doesn't think she will reveal to him why she is so afraid of humans. 

With one hand he points between the trees, while the sky around them has almost turned black. "There's a crack in the rocks in front, we should see if there's a cave hidden behind it and if we can find shelter there," Rakan shouts through the increasing wind, not sure if she can hear his voice through the growing storm. For a brief moment, his eyes drift through the surroundings, looking for a sign from Xayah, before he is relieved to see that she is fighting her way in the direction he pointed.

Some time later, when they have stepped through the crack in the rock, they are relieved to find that the cave they are in is more roomy than they first thought. Some half-burned, dust-dry twigs remain in the remnants of a long gone campfire, which Rakan ignites with a quick movement of his hand and bathes the room in warm, cozy light. 

He throws a light smile at her, winks. "Make yourself comfortable, I'm going to collect some firewood. This little something won't keep us warm for long." Stunned, she looks after him, the shining of his feathers still visible in the distance for some time before she turns around and starts looking for a possibility to set up her tent. 

She sighs with resignation some time later, noticing that none of the ledges on the walls are suitable for holding up the rope that would hold her tent upright. At least none at the right height. She looks around tensely and suddenly the cave becomes much narrower than before, almost threatening. She has nowhere to retreat, nowhere to hide, has to trust that Rakan won't try anything. 

She swallows, still looking for a way to pitch her tent. When Rakan steps through the entrance again after some time, she still hasn't gotten one step further. She briefly lets her shoulders droop, biting her lower lip while he puts some branches in the fire and places the rest on the cave wall to put them in the fire during the night. 

Grinning, he looks at her, but his grin disappears right from his face as he sees her restless face, instantly realizing that she is not feeling well. "Hey Xayah, what's wrong?" He takes a step towards her without crowding her too much, his head slightly tilted to the side. Slowly she shakes her head, biting her lower lip again. 

A brief shiver runs through Rakan's body and he can' t suppress a slight smile. A strong wind bursts into the cave, leaves the flames of the fire dancing and causes Rakan's forehead to wrinkle. "We should cover the entrance," Xayah whispers quietly. "Against the wind and against uninvited guests. The fire might attract wild animals," she whispers softly, looking down to the ground. 'Or humans,' it flashes through her mind and the thought alone is enough to leave her whimpering softly as her body trembles.

Surprised, Rakan looks at her when he hears the soft whimper and is all the more surprised when he notices that she is trembling. Immediately he nods, looking around, before he discovers the leather tent fabric. "Couldn't find a way to set up the tent?" His eyes are fixed on her face, but she just shakes her head briefly. "We could cover the entrance with it as far as possible, at the top it would still be wide open in the gap, but the smoke could easily escape there," he smiles broadly, going over to the entrance and searching the side walls for ledges to which they can attach the rope to secure the cover. 

Satisfied, he walks over, grabbing the tent fabric and presses it against the wall, while she grabs two ropes and walks over to him, before fixing the first rope to a root in the wall and leading it slightly diagonally to a ledge on the other side. At irregular intervals she snakes the rope through the ledges before her eyes catch sight of an long crack and she moans in annoyance. 

"The fabric of the tent is broken," she presses out, grimacing her face. "Stay like that, I'll be right back," she mumbles as she runs over to her backpack and grabs a small, sharp knife, with which she cuts matching holes in the sheet, through which she threads the rope to give it a better grip.

Satisfied, Xayah plucks one of the ropes, checking that the cover is tight so that they are protected from wind and rain for the night, before she slowly turns around, taking a deep breath, and then slowly steps over to the fire. She still feels trapped, the thought of spending the night here, with Rakan in her immediate reach, without the protective tent walls between them, doesn't suit her at all, and a light traction runs through her body.

But does it really make a difference?

She bites her lower lip again, sitting by the fire with some distance to him, while her thoughts ran wild in her mind. 

_'Do I really have to feel uncomfortable?_  
_A simple tent wouldn't stop him if he really wanted to do anything to me, would it?_  
_He would simply open the entrance and climb into the tent to me.'_

But he hasn't done anything like that yet. They've been traveling together for three weeks and he hasn't made any attempt to do anything like this before. He has shown a keen interest, has asked her several times whether she would like to share the bed with him, but he has simply accepted every no. Every time he is disappointed anew, but he accepts it. 

A rustle causes her to drop out of her thoughts, she looks around in shock, realizing that Rakan is digging in his backpack and taking out some ham, cheese and the last three eggs. "Will you pass me the pan?" He stretches out his hand in her direction while he spreads the ingredients on the floor next to him. Nothing happens. He looks up in surprise, looking her in the face. "Xayah? Is something wrong?" Frightened, she moves up, a slight blush spreads over her cheeks and she looks at him in confusion. "What did you say?"

He throws a cheerful smile at her, laughing softly. "I asked you to give me the pan, I wanted to make us something to eat." She nods, reaches for her backpack and releases the small cast-iron pan that is tied to it. With a broad smile he accepts it, beating the eggs into it, while he reaches for a small glass in which he has mixed salt, rosemary, lavender and some other herbs. With his fingertips he reaches into the glass and sprinkles the seasoning mixture over the eggs. 

Curious, Xayah slides a little closer, absorbing the smell, which Rakan answers with a satisfied smile. "A few more minutes of patience and dinner will be ready. She flinches, pushing a strand of her hair backwards while she looks away ashamed. He reaches for the small kettle, pours some water from his canteen into it, grabs two slices of already prepared citrus and a small piece of ginger, which he throws together into the kettle before putting the lid on it and setting it into the flames.

A loud roll of thunder prompts Rakan to look towards the entrance and he notices raindrops running down the leather material, dripping into the entrance of the cave and collecting in a small hollow. 

When the thunder sounds, she slides up against the wall, her knees drawn to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs while she puts her head on her knees, completely covered by her hoodie. Her ears twitch tensely as a noise draws her attention, but she doesn't move as she trembles all over her body. 

Startled, she raises her head up as she is enveloped in something warm, as if she were being held in an intimate, warming embrace. She looks up into Rakan's smiling face, which is just a hand's breadth away from her and looks down on her. With her fingertips she lightly runs over the fabric that envelops her. Without thinking, she pulls the warming blanket closer to her, rubbing her cheek lightly against the soft fabric, while closing her eyes and feeling reminded of her home for a brief moment.

_Of her father._  
_How he covered her up in the evening and told her another story while he combed her hair and straightened her feathers._

For the first time since she lost her safe and protected home, she has the slight feeling that she isn't completely alone, that maybe someone cares about her, likes to have her around, takes care of her. She swallows when she opens her eyes again. Rakan is no longer standing next to her, he is sitting by the fire again, moving around with a wooden spoon in the egg and an unknown feeling spreads inside her.

A feeling of emptiness and disappointment.

She pulls the blanket closer to her, burying her head inside it, while closing her eyes and for another moment simply wishing she could be the carefree, happy girl she once was, knowing that this time is over, that nothing and no one could ever bring her back. Even if she should find her tribe, find her father, the last years have changed her, changed her beyond repair.

Every curse word and every stone thrown at her, every day alone on the road, on her own, starving and lonely, the years she spent with and around Keir. All this has left its mark on her and nothing will ever be able to undo it. She will not be able to change anything in her life, she has to live it as it is until that day when she will take her last breath. 

She sighs softly, drowning in her dark thoughts, biting her lower lip hard. A soft clearing of his throat brings her out of her thoughts, she timidly lifts her head again, looking Rakan directly in the face, who hands her a wooden plate with scrambled eggs, ham, cheese and two thick slices of bread, while he holds out a cup of tea with his other hand. 

She stares at the plate in front of her for a moment, then turns her gaze away, looking down at the ground. "I'm not hungry," she mumbles, avoiding looking at him. He frowned briefly, watching her attentively. "But that looked different before," he gurgles softly, a playful glint in his eyes. "No, seriously now, Xayah. You haven't eaten for the last few days, you have to eat something." 

She puffs up, still not looking at him, while he places the plate and cup in front of her and walks back to the fire with lowered shoulders, staring at his plate. " Is this how you feel about me? Do you really hate me so much that you would rather starve than eat something I have prepared?" His voice causes her to flinch, there is something in his voice that she has never heard before, no anger or hatred, no threat. It is something else, she wrinkles her forehead, her eyes staring at him. Is it sadness?

Slowly she straightens up, the blanket slips from her shoulders and she bites her lower lip. Hesitantly, she walks towards him, her eyes turned to the ground and her hands stiffened in her lap. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Rakan. It' s just..." She breaks off, searching for the right words without finding them. She gasps, closing her eyes before trying to swallow the lump that forms in her throat. *

Unsuccessful. 

"I'm not used to all this," she mumbles, sitting next to him at a short distance, also looking into the fire. Surprised, he looks up, his head tilted. "That someone is cooking you something for dinner?" He sounds surprised, while a slight smile wanders across his lips. 

For a fraction of a second, Xayah's face distorts. "No!" she bursts out before she sighs loudly again, drops her head forward and looks at him apologetically. "Yes. You know, I've been on my own for a long time now, I'm not used to having someone around to take care of me. Someone to make me something to eat or give me a blanket. Why did you put a blanket on me anyway?"

She looks at him with eyes wide open while she plays with her fingers. For a moment he looks at her in surprise before the smile on his lips widens. "You were trembling, so I thought it would be good for you to be warmed." Her eyes widen in surprise and a slight redness spreads across her cheeks. "Isn't that reason enough?"

The red tone on her cheeks becomes stronger and she drags her legs back to her upper body, while she puts her arms around her legs and her head on her knees, looking at him this time. Slowly he gets up, fetching the blanket and putting it around her shoulders again before he returns to fetch the plate and cup. "You should eat something, Xayah. Before it becomes cold. You haven't eaten for days." He smiles lightly, sitting down at some distance from her again.

Slowly she nods, looking at the plate, before she grabs a large piece of scrambled egg with pointed fingers, takes a quick sniff and pushes it into her mouth with shining eyes. Within a few moments she has eaten the portion, as Rakan notes with satisfaction. "Did you like it?" He smiles at her from the side, to which she replies with a wild nod.

"I haven't eaten anything that good in years." 

He smiles happily at her, wiping the wooden plates clean with a cloth, when another roll of thunder makes Xayah flinch and tightens the blanket, whimpering softly. Surprised, he looks at her, never expecting a thunderstorm could frighten her.

~ * ~

When Rakan is torn from his sleep by a loud roll of thunder that night, he realizes with horror that Xayah is gone, even though it looks like she will return. Her backpack and sleeping bag are still in the cave. Worried, he jumps up, his eyes turn to the cave entrance, the leather cover has loosened at the bottom and flutters with the wind. 

Without thinking about it, he runs out into the storm, looking around, even though he doesn't know how to find her in the darkness. He doesn't even know what kind of nightwear she is wearing or what to look for in the darkness, but as he knows her so far, he would assume something very gloomy, perhaps with lace and pearls. His eyes move through the surroundings, looking for the slightest traces.

His forehead wrinkles as he recognizes a figure between some low branches, both mystical and haunting, the uneven, torn dress hanging down from the branch on which the figure has settled, the hair open and blowing in the wind, completely covering the face. Slowly he walks towards the figure and to his relief he realizes that it' s Xayah. She seems to have fallen asleep on the branch, although he can' t quite understand how she managed this trick, caught between the storm and the raindrops that have soaked her nightdress.

When he comes near her, he can already hear her talking in her sleep, she mumbles words to herself that make no sense to him, while she throws her head from side to side, her face twitching restlessly. Carefully he takes a step towards her, lifting her from the branch and carrying her back to the cave. Her hands cling to one of his feathers, and he sighs inwardly, slightly annoyed, in his thoughts already straightening his plumage again. 

"Please don't leave me alone," she mumbles in her sleep, pressing herself closer to him.

He can' t suppress a light smile while he beds her on her sleeping bag and wraps her in some blankets, giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I won't leave you alone. I promise. I'll take care of you and keep you safe."

~ * ~

  
"Wohoo! That was amazing!" With gleaming eyes, Rakan grins at her, brushing his hair from his face before bending down to the Hunter's bodies and starting to check their pockets. "We should keep going. I would like to reach Maon'Li before nightfall." Her voice is soft as she looks up at the sky. 

Without saying another word, he nods to her, joining her. From the side, he watches her attentively, resisting the urge to wipe the blood from her face. He runs ahead, checking if the road they are heading for is safe or if there are any traces of humans. Even though he still can' t understand why Xayah avoids humans so drastically, he accepts it.

Satisfied, he realizes that the road is clear, the last tracks several hours old. When he turns around again and walks back to her, it runs ice cold down his spine. Collapsed to the ground, she lies next to a tree, on which bark a trail of blood runs down. With eyes wide open, he runs over to her, kneeling beside her. Swirling dust causes him to cough briefly while he grabs her and takes her onto his lap. 

Her eyelids flutter, as does her lower lip, while she rests limp in his arms, her dress soaked with blood. Tenderly he puts a hand on her cheek, looking at her in fear, while tears form in his eyes. "I don't want to lose you, Xayah. Please stay with me," he whispers, stroking his thumb over her Clantattoo, placing one of his feathers on her wound with his other hand, which begins to glow but doesn't take effect. She coughs softly, red blood moistens her lips while she looks at him apologetically. "Don't worry," she mumbles as her eyelids slowly close. 

"Don't close your eyes, Xayah. Can you hear me? You need to stay awake!"

Panic resonates in his voice as he puts another of his healing feathers on her wound, still without success. Carefully, he lifts her from the ground, which she answers with a painful groan. "Tell me about your home, Xayah," he whispers as he runs as fast as he can, hoping that it won't worsen her pain and injury. But what other choice does he have? 

His magic has no effect, and whether he leaves her on the ground to watch her die or tries to take her to a healer, the latter seems more appropriate. "I... no home... left behind", she mumbles, closing her eyelids while she goes limp in his arms. His heart contracts in pain, his eyes fixed on her face, while he continues to run as fast as he can, one hand moving to her throat and feeling for her pulse. 

It' s there.   
Weak.   
But there.  
Definitely there.

For a split second he could swear he hears the song that surrounds her soul, soft and choppy, from far away reaching his ears, urgently. In the distance, he can see smoke rising into the sky, pressing her limp body against him, running faster. 

When he runs through the entrance of the city wall a few minutes later, breathing heavily, the inhabitants of the place look at him suspiciously. He looks around helplessly, still pressing Xayah tightly against himself, her head resting on his chest, her ears pointing down motionlessly, not giving the slightest twitch. "I need a healer," he gasps loudly, revealing the view of her. " Fast!"

An older Vastaya runs towards him, looking over the lifeless body in his arms. For a brief moment her forehead wrinkles and she carefully stretches out her fingers, placing them on her throat and feeling for a pulse. Relieved, she sighs up, fingers retracted and points to one of the small houses located in the trunks of trees. "Bring her to my house, I'll see what I can do."

Wordlessly, Rakan nods, hurrying towards the building, while the Vastaya ties her hair back and talks to a slightly younger woman. Hectic words in her tribal language rush back and forth between the two, from which Rakan doesn't understand a single word. For the moment, however, he doesn't care anyway, the only thing that counts for him is that she is saved. 

As the healer hurries through the door, she looks at Rakan for a moment, and nods to a table in the back corner of the room. "What happened? I need as much information as possible, we have to react quickly." 

"We were attacked, five hunters. They didn't seem to be from Ionia, I suspect they were from Noxus. Mostly axes and swords, one of them had a pistol but missed and got killed instantly." 

"Damned humans," murmurs the healer, nodding to him before giving short instructions to her assistant, who confirms them with a nod. "Wait outside," murmurs the younger Vastaya to him, pushing him out of the room with gentle force and closing the door behind him before hurrying to the windows and drawing the curtains. 

With lowered shoulders he stands in front of the closed door, staring at the wood, while the thoughts turn over in his head and dry out his mouth. With slow steps he walks up and down in front of the door, while his heart beats painfully in his chest. They travel together for just a few months, and yet the thought that she might not make it is enough to break his heart.

He doesn't know why, but he has taken the young woman deep into his heart.

Nervously he paces up and down in front of the door, not knowing how much time has passed so far, when the door finally opens again and the young assistant invites him back in. When he turns around the corner towards the table on which he last saw Xayah lying, his feathers rise and his eyes widen in horror. The table is empty, the only evidence that she was lying there are the traces of blood left on and under the table, as well as a single purple-red feather lying on the floor below the table. 

Slowly he turns his head towards the young assistant, who puts her hand on his arm and indicates to him to follow her. Relief spreads within him when he sees that they have taken Xayah to another room, to a soft bed. The healer sits next to her, straightening and fixing the bandage one last time before she gets up and walks over to him, giving him a relieved smile. 

"She was hit by a bullet. The humans dipped it into a simple poison, would have been half as bad, but the bullet didn't pass out but got stuck in her side. This explains the heavy blood loss and the poison could spread freely. We were able to remove the bullet without complications and injected her an antidote". She smiles slightly before winking at him. "Probably wouldn't even have been necessary, her body would have fought the poison on its own, but because of the blood loss and her general condition we played it safe. She will sleep for some time and then be as fit as ever again." 

He nods in relief, reaching for his coin bag, but the healer gently puts her hand on his arm, smiling at him again. "You don't have to pay anything, we are all Vastaya, children of this earth, we help each other as best we can. You'd better get her some chocolate with the money, she will need it soon." She winks at him before she walks with her assistant over to the door. "You don't need to worry, your girlfriend is going to be fine." Surprised, he looks over at her. 

"We're not-" 

He breaks off, slowly turning towards the room where Xayah is lying, in a comfortable bed and covered with a thick, soft blanket. His eyes glide over her relaxed features before he slowly moves towards her. Once again it feels like he can hear her song, but quickly rejecting the thought as he sits down on a chair next to her bed. 

When she opens her eyes after several days of unconsciousness, a stone drops from Rakan's chest and he has to fight against the strong urge to hold her tight and never let go of her again. "You are finally awake," he whispers, looking at her with tears in his eyes. 

"Ra... Rakan... you are here?"

Her voice is soft, a faint whisper, and she looks at him with eyes wide open, a slight redness on her face. "I was so worried! Of course I'm here, I would never leave you alone, especially not in such a situation." His gaze becomes softer and he puts a hand tenderly on her cheek. Immediately she stiffens, her eyes turned to the ground. "Don't touch me," she whispers as her body begins to tremble. 

Apologetically he raises his arms, still smiling at her with relief. 

~ * ~

The sun has already set as they reach Tuvana, Xayah looks around nervously, looking for any sign of what kind of village it is, without success. She bites her lower lip, eyes to the ground and arms wrapped around her. "Is everything okay?" Rakan looks at her attentively from the side. 

In the meantime, he is used to her acting strangely from time to time, even though he is far more unstable than she is. Slowly she looks up before her gaze wanders back towards the village. "I don't know if it is a human village..." she mumbles softly, avoiding his gaze. 

"It' s a human village. But if we go now-"

She looks at him, her eyes as cold as they haven't been in a long time and she raises her hand to prevent him from speaking.

"Rakan! No human villages, you know that!"

She crosses her arms in front of his chest and looks at him challengingly, even though she doesn't feel as secure as she seems to. He folds his forehead.

"We can check in now and check out again before sunrise, we would be gone before anybody notices anything." 

He smiles encouragingly at her, but she just shakes her head slowly. "We need a place where we can stay a little longer. About a week. I have something really ... important... to plan. For that I need silence." He looks at her attentively, nods slowly. "We can stay for a week, too. You don't need to be afraid, okay? I will regularly bring food and drink to your door, so you don't have to be afraid that anybody will come near you or disturb your planning, okay?"

He briefly puts his hand under her chin, expecting her to knock it away, but she freezes, just looking at him for an incredibly long moment, before she nods with a soft whimper. He frowns, surprised by her reaction, but then leads her without further hesitation over to the village and to the small, cozy looking tavern. 

As soon as they enter the tavern, Rakan hurries over to the counter, booking two double bed rooms, before he goes back to Xayah with the keys, leads her upstairs and hands her the key to the second room. When she opens it, she looks at him in shock, her eyes wide open and clear panic in them. "I'm not sleeping with you," she hisses, recoiling from him.

  
He looks at her in amazement, slowly shaking his head. "I thought it would be more comfortable if you could also lie in bed while you plan," he smiles slightly, giving her a reassuring look. 'I would never take advantage of the situation', it comes to his mind.

She looks at him suspiciously before her gaze wanders back to the room and then back to him. She nods slightly, looking at him somewhat worried, before she goes into the room and looks around, making sure everything is okay. "Thank you," she mumbles softly, going over to the window and looking around. The only object she can see is a large tree standing near the window, occasionally touching it with a branch. 

Slowly she walks back to the bed, looking at her fingers and flinching in fear as Rakan sits down beside her. An encouraging smile sits on his lips, and he briefly puts his hand on her shoulder, withdrawing it faster than she can say anything. 

"If you need anything, just let me know. No matter what it is."

With a last smile in her direction, he gets up, walks over to the door. "I'm right in the next room. If you need me."

The moment he has left the room, she runs over to the door, closing it firmly and turning the key in the lock, before she slides down the door, clutching her arms around her trembling body and begins to sob uncontrollably. She doesn't know how long she has been sitting there like this, but when she straightens up and is about to move to the bed, the sun already appears on the horizon. 

Timidly, Xayah wipes her arm over her teary eyes, smearing tears and smudged makeup into her arm guard. She closes the curtains in front of the window, walks slowly over to the bed and lays down on it. It takes a felt eternity until she cried herself to sleep. 

  
A loud knocking wakes her from her restless sleep, her muscles tense up and she freezes, the thought that someone might try to enter her room causes the well-known panic to creep up inside her. She swallows, slowly walking over to the door, her ears twitching from one direction to the next, trying to pick up any sounds that might suggest the guest at the door.

"Xayah? Is everything okay?" 

Rakan. Relieved, she lets her shoulders sink and the tension leaves her body again. "Yes... yes, I'm fine. Just a moment... I'm almost ready!" She takes a quick look in the mirror, tying up her hair, before she runs the last steps to the door and tears it open with a quick movement. Surprised, Rakan looks at her, a slight smile flits over his lips as he looks at her uncombed hair and the unmade bed. 

"I didn't mean to wake you up. I just thought you might be hungry, so I brought you something." She looks at him apologetically, biting her lower lip briefly. "I've already started planning the night and I didn't get to sleep until dawn." She puts on her best fake smile, hoping that it will convince Rakan that everything is okay. She can already tell by the look in his eyes that he doesn't believe her, so she is all the more grateful that he says nothing about it. 

"I have brought you some meat, something that humans call noodles, a small portion of ramen as an appetizer and for dessert a piece of cake, some chocolate and a piece of a honeycomb". He places the tray with plates on a small table next to her bed, on which she stares with big eyes. 

"Who's gonna eat all this?" 

Slowly she looks at him again as he goes over to the door and comes back with two bottles of wine. "I didn't know which you prefer, so I brought you a lovely red wine and a lime blossom mead. And there's plenty of water in the rooms." He gives her a cheerful smile, whereupon she looks down shyly at her fingers. 

"Why are you doing this?" 

Surprised, he pauses, placing the bottles next to the tray. 

"What do you mean?"

She raises her head, raising her brows, before her gaze wanders from the plates and bowls on the tray to the bottles of wine. 

"All that! Why are you doing all this?"

A soft gurgle escapes his lips and he looks at her with a smile. 

"I want you to feel good. Do you understand that? You are not alone anymore, you have to learn that there are people in your life who care about you and have your best in mind." Gently he looks into her eyes, raising his hand to stroke her cheek, which he immediately lets sink again, knowing that it would just make her uncomfortable. 

'I don't know how you feel, but I can see that you are afraid of all this. I can' t help you, but I can try to ease your fear.' He doesn't say it out loud, and yet this thought is what drives him.

"Thank you..."


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as she has locked the door behind Rakan, Xayah throws herself on the bed, wraps her arms around the large pillow and presses the pillow with all her strength against her body, burying her head into it. Desperately she screams inside, while tears run down her cheeks and she writhes restlessly back and forth on the bed before drifting off into a restless sleep again.

The sun has already set, when she is torn from her sleep over a loud noise, sleepily wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, her face grimacing, when she notices a significant trace of eyeliner on her. Without a second thought, she wipes the make-up off her dress when the noise comes up again. 

In confusion, she stares at the wall where her bed is placed and from which the sound reaches her room. A muffled voice followed by a knock on the wall makes her flinch, her ears sink back in shame and disgust as she averts her eyes. 

Again the voice, followed by a deeper, long moaning. Startled, she throws herself back onto the mattress, pressing the pillow tightly against her ears, while tears form in her eyes again. She sobs loudly into the pillow, her knees drawn close to her body, while her fingers dig deeper into the fabric. 

She has always managed to suppress these feelings, to block the rising need, but this time she lost the fight before he had even started. Another intense sob shakes her body as she presses the pillow between her legs, burying her head in the other side and screaming into it again. 

Once more, she throws herself to the other side, the pillow still pressed tightly against her, while desperate tears run down her cheeks. Another moan emerges through the wall, louder this time and she can clearly tell that it' s from Rakan. Goose bumps spread over her body, her mouth is becoming dry and she begins to tremble slightly as her hand slowly moves down without her even noticing. 

A strong shiver runs through her body as she slightly strokes her panties with her fingertips, whimpering softly as she comes back to mind, caused by the moisture on her fingers. She grits her teeth, her eyes pressed tightly together as she curls up and starts sobbing again. 

_'I' m not like them. I' m not like them. I'm not like them.'_

She repeats the words in her mind as she breathes faster with each heartbeat, fighting the urge to move her fingers down again. 

_Damn Rakan!_

Before she met him, she had never felt anything like this. All the other times she retreated somewhere in the woods and let time pass by, even recovering artifacts and taking them back.

But now her thoughts center around him, his strong arms, which caught her when she almost fell in a battle, his muscles, which are highlighted by the glow of the fire, his bright blue eyes, which sparkle when he asks her to join the sleeping bags to protect them from the cold of the night. 

A pleasant shiver runs through her body, making her gasp quietly, she closes her eyes, biting her lower lip lightly, while the next moaning that follows just a second later doesn't disgust or disturb her as much as before. 

Once again her hand moves down, stroking slightly with one finger over the wet spot on her panty, a comforting and warm sensation spreads inside her, her mind goes blank before her body tenses up.

The moaning on the other side of the wall gets louder and tears Xayah back to reality, taking her fingers back, while she buries her face in her pillow anew, while she can' t suppress a slight smile. 

It is still on her lips as she falls into a much quieter sleep. 

~ * ~

A loud thunder rips her from her sleep, for a brief moment she looks around in confusion, not knowing what has happened or where she is. Slowly she glides down from the bed, walking towards the window and taking a look through the window panel. Thick raindrops run down the glass. With one quick movement, Xayah walks across to the small table, her eyes drift over the various plates and bowls before reaching for the small bowl with honeycomb.

  
With the bowl in her hand, she returns to the bed, lighting the oil candle on the small bedside table with a hand, before she cuts through the honeycomb with a small knife and shoves a piece of it into her mouth, chewing with delight while the golden liquid runs down her throat and she closes her eyes with pleasure. 

After a few bites she places the bowl on the bedside table, straightens up and slowly approaches the door, listening for noises in the hallway and as nothing can be heard, she slips quietly out into the hallway, over to Rakan's room door.

Stepping from one foot to the other she stares at the closed door while the wet panties rub against her thighs and she bites her lower lip nervously and uncomfortably. After a short moment she exhales loudly, gathering all her courage and knocking softly on his door.

Nothing.

Even more nervous than before, she continues to step from one leg to the other, closing her eyes and knocking against the door more firmly. She opens her eyes in horror when a feminine voice comes through the closed door, whose words she can' t understand. Without thinking, she turns around, running back into her room.

With a loud slam, the door falls into the lock, she turns the key in its lock, before she lets herself slide down the wooden door, her lower lip trembling and with tears in her eyes. Reflexively, she pulls her knees up to her chest, puts her head on top of them, so that her tears seep into the thin fabric covering her legs. 

_You are so pathetic..._   
_How could you think that he could be interested in you?_   
_Just because he was so nice and brought you something to eat?_   
_He just felt sorry for you._   
_He can have anyone, why should he be satisfied with you?'_

Sobbing, she crawls over to the dresser, dragging herself up, her eyes moving over her reflection in the mirror. Crying eyes stare at her, untidy hair surrounds her face, and her ears are pressed tightly against her head.

_Focus._   
_Concentrate on something else, anything!_   
_On something important._   
_Focus._   
_Focus._   
**_Focus!_ **

A strap of her nightgown has slipped and is positioned slightly across her arm while a transparent, dark red lace gown hangs over the nightgown, tied around her waist with a silk ribbon. 

A loud, extended howl escapes her lips as she realizes that she was knocking on Rakan's door in this outfit, full of desire, so much so that her panties stick to her. 

_'What happened to you... just look at you. You went over to him like that, you're a shame.'_

Frustrated, she moans and without thinking about it, she raises her fist and strikes the glass of the mirror, so that it shatters with a loud crack and clang and covers the floor with broken glass. Cursing, she looks down on her hand, warm blood runs out of the cuts and some shards have drilled into her hand. 

Someone is knocking on her door, while the babble of voices on the other side is getting louder by the second, while Xayah inwardly curses herself for her deed, knowing that the noise so late in the night has awakened other residents and called them out. Her heart sinks as she hears Rakan's voice. How he speaks to the humans at the door, whispering with his encounter at the door.

After some time it calms down in front of her door and just as Xayah exhales in relief, there is a loud knocking at her door, so that she freezes in shock. A soft voice comes through the wood, asking her to open it. Rakan.

Staying still, she stares at the door, while he repeats the words several times without getting an answer. "Go away," she mumbles, placing a hand on the wood, right next to her head. For a moment Rakan is silent on the other side, before his voice reaches her ears again.

"No."

Startled, she raises her head up, looking directly at the wood in front of her eyes, when his voice comes back to her ears. "I won't go away. I know you are afraid, Xayah, and I won't just leave you alone. I' m here, do you hear me? I will protect you, take a look after you, take care of you. All you have to do is to let me be with you."

Again, tears run down her face as she slowly drops her hand to the doorknob, pushing her down before she takes a step back, stopping in the middle of the room with her shoulders lowered. Worried, he looks at her, his eyes fixed on her hand for a brief moment before he enters the room, closing the door behind him. Tenderly he takes her hand in his, looking deep into her eyes.

"Xayah, you are hurt."

Confused, she looks down at her hand, as she had almost forgotten that she is bleeding. Carefully he removes the shards from her flesh before he puts a healing feather on her hand, looking at her with gentle eyes. "Do you still feel pain?" A gentle smile plays around his mouth, looking at her lovingly. Hesitantly she shakes her head, staring to the ground. "No... everything is fine. Thank you..."

He laughs softly, gently stroking her cheek with his hand while she beds her head in his hand, sighing softly. He gives her a sympathetic look which she doesn't even notice and strokes her hair lightly.

A blink of the eye later she looks down, biting her lower lip. "Don't you have to... go back to your girlfriend?" She avoids him, turns away from him and walks over to the window. In surprise, he looks after her, slowly following before he wraps his arms around her from behind and starts humming softly, shaking his head. 

"She isn't my girlfriend, we just had a little fun. It's more important to me that someone I really care about is doing well than having fun for a few hours." He can see in the reflection of the glass how her eyes move upwards, looking at him in his own reflection as they widen in a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

A slight shiver spreads through her body, so Rakan leads her back to the bed, directs her to her pillows, lies down next to her and covers her up with the warm blanket. Surprised, he notices that she nestles up close to him, placing her head against his chest while one of her legs rests over his and rubs it up and down. For a brief moment Rakan has to swallow, resisting the urge. 

He is aware that she only behaves like this because her condition causes her to and he doesn't want her to regret anything the next day. If it were any girl, wanting and willing, it would be something else, then he would have already taken the chance and as much as he would like to share the bed with her, he doesn't want to take advantage of her situation. 

If things happen the way he wishes to, it' s just because she wants it the same way as he does and not because she has become a servant of her instincts without willpower. He respects her far too much for doing so. 

Gently his arms are wrapped around her upper body, gently holding her while she buries her face in his neck, absorbing his smell while she presses herself against him, breathing heavily. A slight trembling passes through his body and he presses her a little tighter to himself, getting a satisfied mew of hers while her hands move across his back, the fingertips moving over his soft skin. 

"Sleep well, my dear", he whispers quietly and without knowing why he breathes a light kiss on her hair while he begins to hum her to sleep.

~ * ~   
  


An unfamiliar noise awakes Rakan from his sleep, while Xayah throws herself restlessly back and forth, mumbling softly to herself. Carefully, he strokes the sweaty hair from her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb and giving her a light smile. He is already used to her nightmares at this point of their journey and knows that she will wake up soon. 

He is also aware that she won't approve when she sees that they slept together in the same bed. Quietly he climbs out of it, taking one last look at her and stroking her cheek once more before he leaves and locks the door from the outside, before sliding the key under the door.

It will remain his little secret.

~ * ~  
  


When Xayah awakes from her sleep, her senses run wild, a hot and yet cold shiver runs through her body as she notices the smell around her. A mixture of sweat, musk, soap, and something that distantly reminds her of chocolate. For Xayah, there isn't a second of doubt that Rakan has been in this room, she would recognize his smell anytime, anywhere, even if she didn't want to admit it. 

Her face digs deeper into the pillow that lies next to her and gives off the distinct smell to the surroundings. For a moment she feels foggy as she happily exhales into the pillow, just to absorb its smell again a moment later.

A broad, relaxed smile spreads across her face as her hand rests on the pillow, she drifts off with her thoughts and she decides that this will be her sweet little secret.

  
~ * ~  
  


  
When they are back on their road a few days later, their behavior between each other is tense and to his disappointment Rakan notices that Xayah starts to distance herself from him again. And as much as he ponders what he can do about it, he can' t think of anything. 

As they sit together by the fire that evening, he looks at her attentively, his head slightly tilted to the side. The corners of her mouth are tilted down while her eyes attentively observe the surroundings around her. Sadly, she shakes her head, turning away from the sight. Slowly, he slides up to her, dragging her slightly to him. 

For a moment she stiffens, looking at him in shock, but when she sees his friendly smile, she slowly relaxes again. "You should smile more often," he whispers softly, watching her attentively from the side. "I don't smile," she mumbles, evading his gaze. "There is no reason to do so."

He drags her closer to him, a light smile is on his lips. "You need to see the good things in life. The solution to your problems lies right in front of you, in the leaves on the trees, in the wind, in the water." Gently he strokes her cheek.

"I... don't know what being happy truly feels like," she whispers, blushing softly over her cheeks and hiccups softly while her eyes are slightly closed.  
  
For a moment Rakan is silent, looking at her carefully. "True happiness are the little things that enrich our lives with each day. Build a sand castle near the shore or a house of cards. Write a lyrics for a song that only you can understand. Spend a night at your home, with your tribe, before you leave again the next day."

Silence.  
It' s as if time has stopped.

"My tribe has disappeared," she mumbles, reaching for her cup and taking a big sip. "Long ago," she adds quietly. " I' m sorry," he whispers, putting his arm closer around her. 

Silently he looks at her, a new smile spreads on his lips. "You'll just have to do something new, something stupid. Like... race me in the darkness, sing a song or grant me a dance. Life is so short, you have to enjoy it. I don't want you to look back on your life at some point and realize that you wasted a huge part of it on futility."

Tenderly, he strokes her cheek as his face approaches hers. "Taste the wine, Xayah, take a big sip and just be yourself. Do something dumb, surf with me on the clouds, let's race. All your negative thoughts feed on whatever you haven't done. Let's dance all night together before we chase the shooting stars, come alive, open your mind and let your mind run wild for just one night. Come!"

  
~ * ~  
  


She presses her hand against the wound on her upper arm, warm blood pours out between her fingers and down her arm while she clenches her teeth in pain and squeezes her eyes tight. 

When Xayah opens her eyes again, she looks down at the corpse at her feet, which slowly fades into black smoke and disappears into the surroundings. Disgusted, she looks at the decaying remains, snorting loudly. 

"Humans... disgusting creatures," she hisses quietly, pressing her hand firmer on the wound, while her face distorts in pain. "Damn", she gasps, shrugging slightly as a tender hand is placed on her shoulder. 

Startled, she looks up, gazing into Rakan's warm eyes. "You are hurt." It is a statement rather than a question, as he conjures up a fine, glowing feather, sliding her hand to the side with a soft movement and placing the healing feather on her injury, where it starts to glow and dissolves into glittering particles, which disappear back into the environment.

With gentle force he leads her over to the clearing where they have set up their tent and where a warming fire is crackling. "Sit down," he whispers softly, stroking her gently through her hair before he looks at her with a last smile and disappears for a moment in the tent, just to return a moment later with two pieces of cloth and a bar of soap. 

He throws the clothes into the simmering water before he catches one with pointed fingers and rubs the soap over it, cleaning the blood from her arm. His shoulders sink and he looks at her apologizing. 

"I had hoped to avoid it, but the wound will probably scar." 

For a brief moment she looks at him sadly, sighing softly. "One of many. It won't make any difference anyway." She grimaces, staring at the fire. "You are beautiful the way you are," he whispers, dropping the piece of cloth next to him to the ground as he slides closer to her, placing a hand under her chin and over her cheek, forcing her to look at him. "And each of your scars will make yourself even more beautiful."

She bites her lower lip, closing her eyes before a timid smile flits across her lips, just for a fraction of a second, but long enough for Rakan to notice. 

"How can you say that? Scars are gross..." Her voice resembles a whisper as she frees her face from his hand, her eyes fixed on the crackling fire. She shrugs as his wing protectively covers her shoulder. Even though she is used to him protecting her from wind and cold by now, she still has to get used to the feeling that comes with it.

"They aren't gross, they are beautiful and they are a part of you. Every scar that marks your body is a part of your history and your past. They tell of all the battles you fought, the stones thrown at you, the attacks of the humans as they chased you, everything you experienced. What you survived. You are still here and every scar on your body shows exactly that. Your strength and determination, your dedication, your passion. They are as beautiful as you are," he whispers softly, his warm breath caressing her skin, leaving her trembling. His finger strokes over a larger scar, just above the base of her chest. " Do you mind?" 

Her head is swimming, heat is spreading inside her and the fine feathers surrounding the base of her feathery ears tremble under his choppy breath. Slowly she turns her glance in his direction, looking at him with trembling lower lip, before she finally shakes her head. 

"You know... before, it would have bothered me..." She breaks off, looking shyly into his eyes. "But now, after everything that's happened in the meantime..."Xayah plays nervously with a strand of her hair. As she continues speaking, her voice is quieter and it seems to Rakan as if she is carefully considering every word. "Now It doesn't mind me that much anymore... quite the opposite." 

A slight blush spreads across her cheeks and she looks into his eyes with a light smile on her lips. "Thank you." For a short moment Rakan looks down on her, smiling broadly, while his heart in his chest beats faster by the second. Gently he drags her closer to him, fighting against the growing urge to kiss her. 

He has all the time in the world and in this very moment he decides to give her all the time she needs. 

  
~ * ~

  
Panting, he clings to a tree while Xayah supports herself on her thighs, breathing heavily, looking in the direction from which they came. "They are still behind us," she grunts, clenching her teeth. "Change of plan," she mumbles, grabbing Rakan by his plaid and dragging him behind her to a bush. 

"What is the new plan?"

Curiously he looks at her, still breathing heavily. For a moment she looks through the leaves, in the distance spotting the silhouettes of their chasers. "You need to distract them and lure them away to the east, I will run to the west and bring back the artifact. I'll meet you in three days, okay?" His eyes widen, slowly shaking his head. "It's too dangerous, what if they catch you?"

"They won't." A light smile spreads on her lips, for a long moment their eyes meet before nodding at each other. "Where do we meet?" Hesitantly, she looks around, hands clenched in fists. 

"Meet me where the cliff greets the sea."

He nods, taking one of her hands in his, receiving a slight twitch from her. "Can I get a farewell kiss, at least? In case we won't see each other again?" He smiles slightly, receiving a soft laugh from her in reply. "We will meet again." Gently she puts her hand on his cheek, her lips on the other. 

"And Rakan... take care of yourself."

He nods, holding her close for a moment. "You too, Xayah." Without a moment's hesitation, he jumps out of the bushes, running east. "Come quickly, they are very close to us," he shouts loudly, drawing the attention of their pursuers and leading them away from her. 

"Please take care of you, I don't want to lose you," she whispers quietly, her eyes fixed on the golden glow of his feathers, before turning away and running in the opposite direction.

  
~ * ~

  
Nervously, Rakan runs over the soft grass growing on the cliff, his eyes wandering across the bushes and deep branches of the trees that mark the edge of the forest. There is still no trace of Xayah, although more than three days have passed since they separated. 

It's not that he thinks she can't take care of herself, but the worry about her is almost overwhelming. If they hadn't grown so close to each other in the last few months, he would almost suspect that she took the chance and left him behind. That she is on her own again. 

But he doesn't think so, they get along too well for it, have become very good friends. At least he hopes so. Loudly Rakan exhales, moving closer to the cliff. His eyes rest on the waves crashing against the rock, on the spray that forms on them and breaks over a smaller rock in the middle of the water. 

A smile falls on his lips as he remembers how they had set up camp here a few weeks ago and Xayah spent half the day lying on the cliff, watching the sight below them, an arm hanging from the cliff while her legs hung in the air. 

A by now almost familiar warmth spreads in Rakan as he thinks about it again. Seeing her so happy and relaxed has given him an unimagined pleasure, without really knowing why. 

The cracking of a branch causes him to flinch, he quickly turns in the direction the sound came from and to his relief he sees Xayah fighting her way through the branches to him. His face brightens and he hurries over to her. Before she can say a word he has closed her in a tight embrace, her face pressed against his chest. 

When he lets go of her, she looks at him in surprise, a slight smile on her lips and a soft blush spreads over her cheeks, which makes the smile on Rakan's face even wider and his heart beat faster. "I was so worried," he mumbles, brushing the hood off her head and the back of his hand across her cheek. 

"I had to hide for a few hours," she mumbles, her eyes taking on a cold expression. "I ran into a hunting party, there were too many to deal with, so I had to seek shelter in a cave and lost several precious hours," she mumbles, disgust in her voice clearly audible. Her voice becomes softer again, as does the expression in her eyes. 

"I came as fast as I could. And..." She pauses briefly, reaching for her backpack and taking something out of it, which she holds out to him. "I brought you something!" He looks at her in amazement, his eyes shining. "That you are back safe and sound is all I wished for," he mumbles, causing her cheeks to turn a darker shade of red before he takes the gift from her hand, giving her a broad smile and thanking her in a gentle voice. 

Slowly he wraps the piece of cloth, eyes still fixed on Xayah, before he takes a quick look down, at what she has brought him. The smile on his face becomes wider as he looks at various bars of chocolate. "Chocolate! And then so much of it," he laughs cheerfully, shoving a piece in his mouth before dragging her into an intimate embrace. 

She winces briefly before returning the gesture. "Thank you," he mumbles, stroking her gently over the back. She tense up briefly before she returns the embrace. "I want to thank you," she whispers softly, closing her eyes and nestling up against his chest. 

For a short moment, Rakan has to swallow, his thoughts center around the kiss they shared during the Beltane Festival. How he would love to kiss her again, to tell her everything that' s going on inside him. But he knows that it isn't the right moment yet, that Xayah isn't ready for it. 

He is silent, gently stroking her plumage with his fingers while a wave crashes loudly against the cliff below them. 


End file.
